# Showdown Medal

The Showdown Medal is the medal awarded to the player adjudged best on ground in the Showdown AFL match between Adelaide and Port Adelaide. It is thus similar to the Glendinning–Allan Medal awarded in Western Derby games. However, no medal is awarded if the teams meet in a final, as they did in 2005.
The Showdown Medal was first presented in Showdown VII, Round 7, 2000. It was formerly known as the "West End Medal", but is currently sponsored by Balfours.
For Showdown 39 in Round 16, 2015, the Showdown Medal was named the Phillip Walsh Medal, after the late Adelaide coach Phil Walsh.

## AFL

| Year | Round | Winner |
| 2000 | 7 | Mark Ricciuto |
| 2000 | 22 | Nick Stevens |
| 2001 | 3 | Josh Francou |
| 2001 | 18 | Josh Francou $^{(2)}$ |
| 2002 | 5 | Jarrad Schofield |
| 2002 | 20 | Josh Francou $^{(3)}$ |
| 2003 | 5 | Graham Johncock |
| 2003 | 22 | Peter Burgoyne |
| 2004 | 7 | Mark Ricciuto $^{(2)}$ |
| 2004 | 22 | Warren Tredrea |
| 2005 | 3 | Mark Ricciuto $^{(3)}$ |
| 2005 | 20 | Simon Goodwin |
| 2005 | 20 | Shaun Burgoyne |
| 2006 | 6 | Tyson Edwards |
| 2006 | 21 | Chad Cornes |
| 2007 | 3 | Andrew McLeod |
| 2007 | 18 | Simon Goodwin $^{(2)}$ |
| 2008 | 3 | Bernie Vince |
| 2008 | 16 | Danyle Pearce |
| 2009 | 6 | Dean Brogan |
| 2009 | 17 | Nathan Bock |
| 2010 | 6 | Robbie Gray |
| 2010 | 17 | Domenic Cassisi |
| 2011 | 4 | Justin Westhoff |
| 2011 | 19 | Nathan van Berlo |
| 2012 | 5 | Patrick Dangerfield |
| 2012 | 15 | Sam Jacobs |
| 2013 | 3 | Travis Boak |
| 2013 | 19 | Chad Wingard |
| 2014 | 2 | Hamish Hartlett |
| 2014 | 15 | Sam Jacobs $^{(2)}$ |
| 2015 | 5 | Robbie Gray $^{(2)}$ |
| 2015 | 16 | Scott Thompson |
| 2016 | 2 | Tom Lynch |
| 2016 | 22 | Matt Crouch |
| 2017 | 3 | Rory Sloane |
| 2017 | 20 | Sam Jacobs $^{(3)}$ |
| 2018 | 8 | Robbie Gray $^{(3)}$ |
| 2018 | 20 | Robbie Gray $^{(4)}$ |
| 2019 | 8 | Alex Keath |
| 2019 | 16 | Robbie Gray $^{(5)}$ |
| 2020 | 2 | Travis Boak $^{(2)}$ |
| 2021 | 8 | Travis Boak $^{(3)}$ |
| 2021 | 21 | Aliir Aliir |
| 2022 | 3 | Jordan Dawson |
| 2022 | 23 | Connor Rozee |
| 2023 | 3 | Jordan Dawson $^{(2)}$ |
| 2023 | 20 | Taylor Walker |
| 2024 | 8 | Jake Soligo |
| 2024 | 23 | Zak Butters |

### Retrospective best on ground

As the Showdown Medal was only introduced in 2000, six Showdowns were played without a medal being awarded. In 2019, Michelangelo Rucci, football writer for The Adelaide Advertiser, advocated for a combination of Brownlow Medal, Club Champion voting, and Media votes to determine the selection for retroactively awarded Showdown Medals. This potential for retrospective Showdown Medals being awarded was enhanced by the Western Derby allocating retrospective medals in 2018. Another Showdown where a medal was not awarded to the player adjudged best afield was the 2005 Semi-Final. The official Adelaide website, afc.com.au, lists Simon Goodwin as their best player in the 2005 Showdown Final with 3 goals and 22 disposals at 91% disposal efficiency to his name.
Michelangelo Rucci's 'Best on Ground' before Showdown Medal :
| Match | Year | Combined | Winning club | Brownlow | Club B&F | Merv Agars Medal |
| 1 | 1997 | Darren Mead | Port Adelaide | 3: Darren Mead 2: Shayne Breuer 1: Brendon Lade | 3: Darren Mead 2: Stephen Paxman 1: Stephen Daniels | 3: Shane Bond 2: Brayden Lyle 1: Darren Mead |
| 2 | 1997 | Brett James | Adelaide | 3: Gavin Wanganeen 2: Brendon Lade 1: Matthew Connell | 3: Brett James 2: Darren Jarman 1: Kym Koster | 3: Brett James 2: Stephen Daniels 1: Darren Jarman |
| 3 | 1998 | Adam Kingsley | Port Adelaide | 3: Nathan Bassett 2: Josh Francou 1: Matthew Primus | 3: Adam Kingsley 2: Matthew Primus 1: Fabian Francis | 3: Adam Kingsley 2: Matthew Primus 1: Fabian Francis |
| 4 | 1998 | Mark Ricciuto | Adelaide | 3: Mark Ricciuto 2: Peter Vardy 1: Darren Jarman | 3: Mark Ricciuto 2: Peter Vardy 1: Ben Hart | 3: Mark Ricciuto 2: Peter Vardy 1: Ben Hart |
| 5 | 1999 | Mark Bickley | Adelaide | 3: Kane Johnson 2: Mark Bickley 1: David Gallagher | 3: Matthew Robran 2: Mark Bickley 1: Ben Hart | 3: Mark Bickley 2: Matthew Robran 1: Ben Hart |
| 6 | 1999 | Josh Francou | Port Adelaide | 3: Brendon Lade 2: Josh Francou 1: Gavin Wanganeen | 3: Josh Francou 3: Brendon Lade 3: Gavin Wanganeen | 3: Josh Francou 2: Gavin Wanganeen 1: Brendon Lade |
2005 Showdown Final :
| Match | Match | Combined | Winning club | Brownlow | Club B&F | Merv Agars Medal |
| 2005 | 19 | Simon Goodwin | Adelaide | N/A | 3: Simon Goodwin 2: Mark Ricciuto 1: Scott Welsh | N/A |

## AFL Women's

| Season | Round | Winner |
| 2022 (S7) | 6 | Chelsea Randall |
| 2023 | 1 | Niamh Kelly |
| 2024 | 1 | Ebony Marinoff |